Take a Kootenay Road Trip To Local Breweries and Win!

Castlegar and the rest of the West Kootenay region has joined forces to offer up a road trip that’s sure to quench your thirst and your sense of adventure. With the help of BC Ale Trail as well as Tourism Rossland and Nelson Kootenay Lake Tourism, we are showcasing the best craft breweries and tap houses in the West Koots and also rewarding you for checking them out. The Grand Prize travel package includes:

• Accommodation in the four communities of Castlegar, Rossland, Nelson and Kaslo
• Dining gift certificates ranging in value from $25-$75 from 10 breweries and tap houses
• Gift certificate to Castle Bowl, Castlegar’s 5-pin bowling alley,

Here are the details: From February 1-28 visit any of the participating locations listed below and ask for a stamp when you buy a beer. Once you’ve collected 6 unique stamps on your passport, including at least one stamp from two different communities, hand in the completed passport to receive a free branded beer glass. Your completed card will also be entered to win the grand prize.

The 11 participating breweries and tap houses include:

• Tailout Brewing
• Lion’s Head Smoke and Brew Pub
• Angry Hen Brewing
• Backroads Brewing
• Broken Hill
• Erie Creek Brewing
• Mike’s Place Pub
• Nelson Brewing Company
• Rossland Beer Co.
• Torchlight Brewing Co.
• Trail Beer Refinery

For details about how to download your passport, and for more about the contest, visit bcaletrail.ca/kootenay-road-trip-tasting-passport. And as always, please drink responsibly and don’t drive between locations. Instead, we recommend you stay in each city or town and take in its full flavour, from the beer to the overall scene. Below is more info about the participating locations.

Lions Head Smoke and Brew Pub

There was a time, about thirty years ago, when the only beer to be found in Castlegar was brewed by either Labatt or Molson. Slowly the offerings expanded and then things really shifted in 2009 when the Lion’s Head Smoke and Brew Pub was purchased by Troy Pyett and Carly Hadfield, daughter of the founder of Spinnakers Brewpub on Vancouver Island. Immediately after buying the famous neighbourhood watering hole, which is located a five-minute drive from downtown Castlegar in Robson,  the couple established a funny motto: “Converting Bud drinkers and vegetarians since 2009.” Their plan obviously worked because it’s now listed as one of the 8 best pubs in the province. There are numerous craft beers and ciders on tap as well as a menu that features a variety of meats smoked on-site. There’s also a a natural rock climbing cliff in the backyard and a boat launch across the road making it the perfect destination post recreation.

• Location: 2629 Broadwater Rd, Robson
• Phone: 250-365-2739
• Website: lionsheadpub.ca